At first glance, this album could seem closer to a difficult scholarly challenge than the latest pop record from an artist whose previous single was a collaboration with a global K-pop icon. Divided across four different movements and performed in 13 tongues, this is a breathtaking orchestral-influenced work that delves into female mystery, religious ascent, and physical change, often via the perspective of different saintly figures. The end of a love affair—a topic treated with raw honesty elsewhere—is launched heavenward here, supported by the constant sound of a full orchestra and input from an award-winning songwriter within a long roll call of collaborators. Its sheer ambition alone makes the efforts of contemporary pop stars look rather modest.
Transcending Scholarly Exercise
The fact that this album succeeds in escape dry intellectual posturing feels nothing short of miraculous, with complete praise going to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to alchemize the past with modern styles, the scale are much higher on Lux, and the tightrope walk more pronounced. The element that really elevates this fourth album, outside of its multilayered tunes, rich arrangements, and engrained drama, is a core sense of playfulness. Similar to the legendary artist at her peak, there is a wondrous quality to the vocalist's singing that pulls you up in its whirlwind. Even when she's breaking your heart in two, the listener still want to be alongside her for the journey.
A Prime Moment of Joy
This exuberant spirit shines brightly on a stunning Italian ballad inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a sorrowful whirlpool for more than four minutes. Suddenly, everything drops away, and we hear a gleeful giggle and a declaration before a comically over-the-top string crescendo crashes down like cartoonish force. The song then segues into the wild single driven by racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a surprise appearance from the artist herself.
"The charm of this album lies in you rarely quite understand—or even wish to predict—where it will go next."
Almost each song finishes at a completely distinct place from how it began. A track explores the fleeting trappings of fame with a featherlight orchestration before collapsing in digital chaos. Another, a song that recalls the artist's earlier trap-infused work begins off moody and brooding, with prowling beats, before fluttering flamenco handclaps and a heavenly chorus enter to smooth the song's rough corners.
The Bridge Between Art & Pop
Another crucial balancing act on Lux involves navigating the gap between radical innovation and broad appeal. This is no coincidence that the album has become her first release to break into the upper reaches of major charts: at its core a collection of truly catchy pop songs. One track performed entirely in English swells around a refrain that seems to gather increasingly infectious hooks as it spins skyward. That feat is echoed by a different powerful track that expands and constricts, weaving layered tunes as an intricate tapestry.
- A dance-infused number charms with its playful, theatrical flair and a chant-along chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the cultural impact of other breakup songs, lambasting a former partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing carry a painted-on edge, like a storybook character hiding a knife: "Gold medal in acting like a scoundrel / You have won the trophy of letdown."
A Maximalist Feast for the Soul
Lux represents popular music on a grand scale, a hungry grasp for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It rejects self-absorption in favor of glorious transcendence, creating a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own inherent excess. It is a deep well of hidden treasure that takes time to fully mine but never feels like a chore. Where other big releases of 2025 seemed like a meager scraps, this record is a sumptuous feast where the characters at the table, perhaps tipsy on sacred wine, flit between discussions about historical saints, the galvanizing feeling of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. It is a contemporary musical from music's most endlessly inventive visionary.
